Final Report Nordmann’s Greenshank Population Analysis, at Pantai Cemara Jambi Cipto Dwi Handono1, Ragil Siti Rihadini1, Iwan Febrianto1 and Ahmad Zulfikar Abdullah1 1Yayasan Ekologi Satwa Alam Liar Indonesia (Yayasan EKSAI/EKSAI Foundation) Surabaya, Indonesia

Background

Many shorebirds species have declined along East Asian-Australasian Flyway which support the highest diversity of shorebirds in the world, including the globally endangered species, Nordmann’s Greenshank. Nordmann’s Greenshank listed as endangered in the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species because of its small and declining population (BirdLife International, 2016). It’s one of the world’s most threatened shorebirds, is confined to the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (Bamford et al. 2008, BirdLife International 2001, 2012).

Its global population is estimated at 500–1,000, with an estimated 100 in Malaysia, 100–200 in Thailand, 100 in Myanmar, plus unknown but low numbers in NE India, Bangladesh and Sumatra (Wetlands International 2006).

The population is suspected to be rapidly decreasing due to coastal wetland development throughout Asia for industry, infrastructure and aquaculture, and the degradation of its breeding habitat in Russia by grazing Reindeer Rangifer tarandus (BirdLife International 2012).

Mostly Nordmann’s Greenshanks have been recorded in very small numbers throughout Southeast Asia, and there are few places where it has been reported regularly. In Myanmar, for example, it was rediscovered after a gap of almost 129 years. The total count recorded by the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) in 2006 for Myanmar was 28 birds with 14 being the largest number at a single locality (Naing 2007). In 2011–2012, Nordmann’s Greenshank was found three times in Sumatera Utara province, N Sumatra. First, a flock of 13 birds was recorded on 17 Nov 2011 at Tanjung Rejo village (3°44'N, 98°46'E), Percut Sei Tuan Subdistrict. The other two records both relate to birds seen just 8 km from the first site at Sei Tuan village (3°42'N, 98°50'E), Pantai Labu Subdistrict three on 15 Dec 2011, and four on 13 Jan 2012 (Abdillah, Hasri and M. Iqbal, 2012).

During Far Eastern Curlew Survey, November 2019, we recorded 28 individuals of Nordmann’s Greenshank at Pantai Cemara, Jambi. This showed the potency of Pantai Cemara as one important site for Nordmann’s Greenshank in Indonesia. Objective  Provide an updated data of Nordmann’s Greenshank population at Pantai Cemara Jambi

 Identify the potencies and threats at Pantai Cemara as stopping site for Nordmann’s Greenshank species

 Do the survey with local team to increase their identification ability

Ecosystem Essential Area, Pantai Cemara, Desa Sungai Cemara, Tanjung Jabung Timur Region, Jambi

Fig 01. Map of Pantai Cemara - Essential Ecosystem Area, Jambi (Ministry of Environment and Forestry Republic of Indonesia, 2019)

Site Status :  Protected as Ecosystem Essential Area (Managed by Forestry Department of Jambi Province)  currently in the process to be proposed as Flyway Site Network

Potency : - This site was visited by more than ten thousands of migratory shorebirds which searching for feeding and roosting ground during their migratory journey (Unpublished data of Migratory Shorebird Survey at Pantai Cemara, Jambi 2019). - Local people in this site are eager to learn and involving them self to be the part of migratory shorebirds conservation. They see these birds as the potency of their village. - Local government fully support the development and conservation activities for this site

Threat : Direct threat - Forest fire (but the effect are not as big as Sembilang NP) - Natural Predator (Eagle observed prey on Charadrius mongolus during the monitoring) - Plastic waste - Massive growth of Ipomea sp. and Avicennia sp.

Fig 02. Observation point at Pantai Cemara - Essential Ecosystem Area (Google Earth 2020) Survey Method We did our survey from November 17th, 2020 to November 21st, 2020 (5 days). We determine one observation point which will be able to access the wide beach with mixed sandy beach substrate type. We did the monitoring and training to the local people and local ranger during the monitoring activity. We reach the observation point by boat, and continue by foot.

Note about the habitat condition There are massive growth of grass, Ipomea sp.and Avicennia sp. from 2019 (Fig.03).

Fig 03. Massive growth of grass, Ipomea sp., and Avicenna sp. Survey Result Table 01 : Result of Survey Activity at Pantai Cemara, Jambi between November 17th, 2020 - November 21st, 2020. IUCN NO Spesies English Name Local Name Population Trend 17 18 19 20 21 Status 1 Egretta eulopotes Chinese Egret Kuntul Cina Decreasing VU 1 1 1 1 1 DD (Data 2 Charadrius dealbatus White-Faced Plover Unknown Deficient) 2 0 1 1 1 3 Charadrius leschenaultii Greater Sandplover Cerek Pasir Besar Decreasing LC 412 4 89 368 438 4 Pluvialis squatarola Grey Plover Cerek Besar Decreasing LC 48 28 17 7 34 5 Charadrius mongolus Lesser Sandplover Cerek Pasir Mongolia Unknown LC 239 337 354 535 476 6 Pluvialis fulva Pacific Golden Plover Cerek Krenyut Decreasing LC 8 13 2 7 4 7 Charadrius alexandrinus Kentish Plover Cerek Tilil Decreasing LC 0 0 0 0 0 8 Charadrius peronii Malay Plover Cerek Melayu Decreasing NT 1 0 1 1 0 9 Charadrius javanicus Javan Plover Cerek Jawa Decreasing NT 2 2 1 2 0 10 Hydropogne caspia Caspian Tern Dara Laut Caspia Increasing LC 32 20 23 41 44 11 Sterna hirundo Common Tern Dara Laut Biasa Decreasing LC 0 0 0 0 0 12 Gelochelidon nilotica Common Gull-billed Tern Dara Laut Tiram Decreasing LC 0 0 0 0 0 13 Thallasseus bergii Greater Crested Tern Dara Laut Jambul Stable LC 19 20 14 0 10 14 Stenula albifrons Little Tern Dara Laut Kecil Decreasing LC 35 30 27 38 27 15 Calidris tenuirostris Great Knot Kedidi Besar Decreasing EN 20 38 301 366 138 16 Numenius madagascariensis Far Eastern Curlew Gajahan Timur Decreasing EN 35 8 18 11 24 17 Tringa guttifer Spotted Greenshank Trinil Nordmann Decreasing EN 21 11 6 0 5 18 Tringa stagnatilis Marsh Sandpiper Trinil Rawa Decreasing LC 26 20 22 16 17 19 Xenus cinereus Terek Sandpiper Trinil Bedaran Decreasing LC 87 74 125 36 26 20 Tringa totanus Common Redshank, Redshank Trinil Kaki Merah Unknown LC 30 38 29 4 17 21 Numenius phaeopus Whimbrel Gajahan Penggala Decreasing LC 17 21 18 24 20 22 Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper Trinil Pantai Decreasing LC 1 1 1 1 1 23 Arenaria interpres Rudy Turnstone Trinil Pembalik Batu Decreasing LC 2 2 2 0 0 24 Tringa nebularia Common Greenshank Trinil Kaki Hijau Stable LC 21 24 24 18 16 25 Calidris alba Sanderling Kedidi Putih Unknown LC 1 1 2 1 1 26 Limnodromus semipalmatus Asian Dowitcher Trinil Lumpur Asia Decreasing NT 125 234 70 78 68 27 Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit Biru Laut Ekor Hitam Decreasing NT 5 525 220 328 469 28 Limosa lapponica Bar-tailed Godwit Biru Laut Ekor Blorok Decreasing NT 520 485 562 569 368 29 Calidris canutus Red Knot Kedidi Merah Decreasing NT 0 0 0 0 0 30 Numenius arquata Eurasian Curlew Gajahan Besar Decreasing NT 44 25 14 26 77 31 Calidris ruficolis Red Necked Stint Kedidi Leher Merah Decreasing NT 270 248 130 137 278 32 Calidris ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper Kedidi Gol-Gol Decreasing NT 183 174 159 201 230 33 Glareola maldivarum Oriental Pratincole Terik Asia LC 0 0 0 0 1 2207 2384 2233 2817 2791

Table 02 : Maximum Count of Far Eastern Curlew at Pantai Cemara, Jambi Maximum Count of Nordmann’s Greenshank 2019 28 2020 21 Table 03 : Maximum Count of Migratory Waterbird recorded at Pantai Cemara, Jambi Maximum Count of Migratory Waterbirds recorded 2019 17,032 2020 2,817

Table 04 : Maximum Count of Godwit recorded at Pantai Cemara, Jambi Maximum Count of Maximum Count of Maximum Count of Maximum Count of Maximum Count of Far Black-tailed Godwit Bar-tailed Godwit Asian Dowitcher Great Knot Eastern Curlew 2019 3,700 2,700 564 1950 38 2020 525 520 234 366 35

Fig 04. Chart of Nordmann’s Greenshank Max. Count Fig 05. Chart of Near Threatened and Endangered Species at Pantai Cemara (2019 &2020) Data 2019 and 2020 (unpublished data, EKSAI) (unpublished data, EKSAI). Pantai Cemara located at Desa Sungai Cemara, Tanjung Jabung Timur Region, Jambi Province. It is designited as Essential Ecosystem Area in 2018 by the Governer of Jambi Province. This site known as one of the most important site for migratory shorebird along Sumatra Island. With mixed sandy beach texture of it’s substrate, this site used by more than ten thousands migratory shorebirds from 32 species (unpublished data, EKSAI Foundation). In 2019 we also recorded three endangered species of migratory shorebird roosting and feeding on this site. We recorded 28 individuals of Spotted Greenshank (more than 1% of it’s population), 38 individuals of Far Eastern Curlew and 1950 individuals of Great Knot. This result showed the potency of this site as one of the most important site for migratory shorebirds in Indonesia. Generally, this numbers are declining on 2020 as we seen on table 01 and table 04. If we see table 02, the number of Nordmann’s Greenshank also declining this year, even not drastically declining like Godwit. The major change of Pantai Cemara mudflat is a massive growth of it’s vegetation (Ipomea sp., unidentified grass, mangroves and sea pine). During the survey, we notice that Nordmann’s Greenshank and other large shorebirds like Godwit, Curlew, and Asian Dowitcher and Great Knot never roost or foraging on mudflat with vegetation. Open mudflat without vegetation provide a better access to their prey (Finn et al, 2008). Despite the habitat change, Pantai Cemara still provide a suitable non-breeding site for more than 1% of Nordmann’s Greenshank global population. As it describe at Zocker et al (2018), Nordmann’s Greenshank usually recorded on softer mudflats sheltered by mangrove near with sandier mudflats. This habitat description are suitable with the condition and substrate type of Pantai Cemara estuarine inter-tidal mudflat. Despite the suitable condition of Pantai Cemara as non-breeding site for Nordmann’s Greenshank, the massive growth of it’s vegetation need to be watched and control so it will not disturbing the birds.

Fig 06. Nordmann’s Greenshank (personal documentation, 2020) During the survey we trained local youth team to improve their identification skill for Nordmann’s Greenshank (Fig 06). In five days we evaluate their ability to distinguish Nordmann’s Greenshank from other species and after five days training and evaluation, they are be able to identify the species correctly with minimum mistakes.

Fig 06. Nordmann’s Greenshank Identification training for local youth team (personal documentation, 2020)

Conclusion

- Despite the declining of numbers of migratory shorebirds at Pantai Cemara, maximum numbers of Nordmann’s Greenshank are stable, and Pantai Cemara still support more than 1% of Nordmann’s Greenshank population.

- The massive growth of vegetation at Pantai Cemara should become a concern to be managed, because it’s already affect the numbers of migratory shorebirds at Pantai Cemara.

- The local youth team’s skill to identify Nordmann’s Greenshank are hihgly improve during the training, and they will continue the monthly monitoring at Pantai Cemara. (a) (b) References

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